Love and Lust: 'Driving into the Sun' and 'My Highland Spy'

What in the world could a contemporary gay romance set in the United States and a historical heterosexual novel set in Scotland possibly have in common, beyond the fact they both end with an HEA? Both are about leaving one place seeking something and finding an entirely different future in another place. Both are about taking a risk and going where a person may not wish to go. Both are about opening the heart and mind to the possibility that love may guide them to an opportunity completely unexpected yet perfect. Both are about trust, letting go, and allowing romance into a life that has never truly experienced it.

Driving into the Sun by Dev Bentham

What it's about (courtesy Loose Id Publishing):

Bad choices. We all make them, some more than others. Dusty's choices have left him unemployed, broke and practically homeless. Despite the major issues he has with his family, his only rational choice is to sell everything and move into his parents' basement. At thirty. Looking for a ride west, he answers a phone ad. The voice at the other end of the line flows like dark, rich honey. Finally something to look forward to—listening to Joe's voice all the way from Illinois to Idaho.

Rather than the hip crooner of Dusty's fantasies, Joe turns out to look more like a panhandler. Is that because Joe dresses down, or are Dusty's preconceptions about Native Americans clouding his vision? Joe is silent more often than not. He has a complicated past and still has amends to make. But he is ready to move on. Dusty feels trapped. Two damaged men, one small car driving two thousand miles into the sun—sometimes things need to break down before they can get fixed.

Why you should read it: When does running away from something turn into running to something? When does failure turn into success? When does fear turn into love? These are all questions Joe and Dusty don't even know they need to ask themselves but they find the answers together.

Joe is a Native American, an Army veteran, a nurse, and gay. His poor choice was alcohol. He is heading to Seattle to a new job and a new life and advertises for someone to share the ride and expenses. Dusty is a financial planner, broke, alone, and gay. His poor choice was a man. His former partner swindled people and went to prison. Dusty is lucky all he lost was his job, his license, and his belongings. He is headed to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, ostensibly to attend his parents' 35th anniversary party, but in reality to beg to live in their basement and for a job from his despised older brother. He answers Joe's ad and with $700 stashed among his few belongings heads West.

Along the way Dusty finds he has not yet hit rock bottom but manages to almost find even that. The two men, estranged from their families, discover a way to connect with the people of their past before moving on to uncover the truth about what they really want. This is a fabulous book about finding what you need in a new home with someone who understands far more about you than you know yourself. The story is a little stark until almost the end, but that's the reality of life for both Joe and Dusty. This is the most happy-ever-after kind of book a romance reader could ever wish for. Erotic, full of discovery, and romance. Driving into the Sun is a book about leaving angst and risk management behind while accepting the possibility that there is something better that you didn't even know was out there. A great book, beautifully written, character driven and highly recommended.

My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts

What it's about (courtesy Sourcebooks Casablanca):

This Highland Laird won't bow to the Crown. Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he does what any laird would do—he lies to the king. The last thing Ruairi expects is a beautiful English governess to appear on his doorstep.

But this lady spy might make him... Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a seasoned spy who is sent to the savage Highlands to uncover a nefarious plot against the Crown. Playing the part of an English governess—a job easier said than done—she infiltrates the home of Laird Sutherland, a suspected conspirator.

If she doesn't betray him first. Ravenna soon discovers that the only real threat Sutherland poses is to her heart. But will the proud Highland laird ever forgive her when he discovers the woman he loves in an English spy?

Why you should read it: I have not read a lot of historical romances, but what better place to start than with a story by a master of Highland romance, Victoria Roberts? This is the story of a beautiful English woman who is following in her late father's footsteps as a spy for King James, in the early 17th century. It was particularly interesting to read this in the current atmosphere of the vote for Scottish independence, since it occurs before Scotland joined what became the United Kingdom but in the early days of the Union of Crowns under King James.

Lady Ravenna goes undercover as an English governess to what we would call today homeschool the son of a Highland Laird. The fact that the boy speaks no English and Ravenna speaks no Gaelic certainly makes the chore of instruction more difficult, but Ravenna heads to Scotland determined to find out who is plotting against King James.

Not everything is as it appears and she soon finds that the handsome Laird Ruairi, widower and father of young Torquil, is facing problems of his own, including cattle rustlers and an ex-father-in-law who is a threat to everything Ruairi holds dear. At a time when powerful men didn't play the role of loving father very often, we find that Ruairi loves his son very much and is capable of loving a new woman in his life. I adore erotic romance that includes a strong-willed woman who is not only smart but clever and able to find humor in even dark moments. And a man in a kilt? Well, who doesn't love that?

A castle with a hidden chamber full of money that is mysteriously disappearing, a man who understands more than he lets on, a beautiful countryside, brutal fighting, thrilling fast-paced run-for-your-life encounters, a boy who misses his mother, a best friend with a wolf for a pet, and hot sex in the bedchamber … this is the background for a love story that transcends time and place.

This is a plot-based story, full of humor, with solidly developed characters, including the secondary characters, and it grabbed my attention from page one. While this is a gripping espionage tale it is definitely a hot romance and the ending is everything a romance reader could want. Whether you have read historical romances before or love them as your favorite reads, this is a book I recommend. My Highland Spy is the first in a new series, and I'm eager to read the next one, which I hope will include the charming Fagan and Ravenna's sister Grace.

Becky Condit is a widow, mother of three and grandmother of 10 who reads all kinds of books, but her go-to comfort books are erotic romances. A romance novel coupled with just-out-of-the-oven chocolate-chip cookies and a glass of cold milk is her idea of heaven. She reads and reviews more than 250 books a year, so you won't often find her without her Kindle in hand, but when you do, she'll probably be gardening, doing needle crafts, working in her upholstery workshop and spending time with her family.